


Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc (with One Extra Dumbfuck)

by SaiiborumaSupremacy



Category: Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Self-Insert, Shipping
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-14 11:35:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29541768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaiiborumaSupremacy/pseuds/SaiiborumaSupremacy
Summary: (HEAVY THH SPOILERS AHEAD, PROCEED WITH CAUTION)Basically, Trigger Happy Havoc, but I'm in it.
Relationships: Naegi Makoto & Original Female Character(s), Other Relationship Tags to Be Added
Kudos: 1





	1. Prologue, Part One

**Author's Note:**

> I am not using my real name, of course.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First part to the prologue

The massive high school towers over all the other buildings in this bustling urban area. It's like the school stands at the center of the entire world.  
It brings in top students from every field imaginable. A government-funded school of privilege. They say that if you come here and manage to graduate, you'll be set for life. With hundreds of years of tradition, it sends the cream of the crop into the work force every year. It was built to raise hope in the nation's future. Which makes Hope's Peak a pretty fitting name.  
There are two things you need to attend this school... One, you have to already be attending high school. Two, you have to be the very best at what you do. No ordinary student could enroll here. The only way in is if you're scouted by the school itself.

And standing there at the gate of the ultimate school filled with the ultimate students...  
...was me.  
Before we go any farther, I guess I should introduce myself. My name's Makoto Naegi.  
As you can see, I'm nothing but a hopelessly average high school student. Average on the outside, average on the inside.  
I really don't have much going for me when it comes to grades, special abilities, even personality. I mean yeah, I have hobbies and stuff I like to do, but it's not like I'm a psychic or mutant or whatever. Like, if you asked me what my favorite song was, or my favorite movie or TV show... They'd all just be whatever's most popular at that particular moment. Even among the average, I'm completely average. So I can't even say I'm your "everyday hero" type. That's just who I am.  
Anyway, I figure it's always good to introduce yourself right off the bat. But if I have any kind of "strong point," so to speak... I'd say I'm a little more gung-ho than other people.  
I mean look at me. I'm completely ordinary, but still... Here I am, standing in front of the anything but ordinary Hope's Peak Academy.  
It's got this overwhelming presence...like it's trying to swallow me whole. But it's no wonder I would feel that way. What you have to understand is... Well, let me just tell you about the "preparation" I did last night to get ready for today.  
Hope's Peak only invites those students who are the truly elite in their field. It's such a popular topic, there are threads online dedicated to talking about the school's attendees. So to prepare, I looked up some of the those threads. And all I saw was talk about "ultimate" students, who were way beyond your average high schooler.  
For example, one incoming student is the "Ultimate Pop Sensation." I guess she's a high school girl who's also the lead singer for a pop group famous all over the country.  
There's also the "Ultimate Baseball Star." He was the cleanup hitter for the national high school champs. Pro teams already have their eyes on him.  
Then there's the "Ultimate Fashionista." She's been on the cover of tons of fashion magazines. She's what every high school girl wants to be.  
Oh, and they mentioned the "Ultimate Biker Gang Leader." The scary thing is, he's the de facto leader of every biker gang in Japan. Gangs everywhere love the guy.  
On top of that, there's the Ultimate Martial Artist, the Ultimate Fanfic Creator, the Ultimate Gambler, The Ultimate Swimming pro, the Ultimate Programmer, the Ultimate Clairvoyant, the Ultimate Multi-Shipper, and then some. Reading that made me realize how totally powerless I was. It was the country's finest, top to bottom. I felt like a tame little house cat who'd wandered into a pride of lions.  
But still, there was something I couldn't stop thinking about. You see, there were a few students who I couldn't find any info on, no matter how much I looked. With all those "ultimate" students, I'm the only one without any kind of worthwhile talent. But then, what about those other new students who didn't seem to pop up anywhere.  
"Could they be just average students like me, without any talent or anything?" I asked myself.  
That thought was kind of encouraging. I mean, I know I don't have much in the way of personality. But beyond that, there's an even bigger issue... How did such an unbelievably average student like me get picked to come to this "ultimate" high school? I mean, I guess there *is* a reason... You just have to take one glance at the acceptance letter they sent me to see why.  
"We recently held a lottery to select one ordinary student to attend our school. As a result, you have been selected, and we invite you to join us as the Ultimate Lucky Student."  
They spelled it out plain as day--I got invited by pure luck. Honestly, I probably would have been better off just declining their offer. But after hearing how graduating was a "guarantee for success" later in life, I just couldn't say no.  
But then, actually standing there in front of the school... I started to feel lost, like I didn't belong there. I could feel myself losing my nerve.  
"But still...I can't just stand here in front of the gate forever..."  
Frozen in place, murmuring to myself, I looked down at the acceptance letter clutched in my hand. It said there'd be a meeting for all incoming students in the main hall at 8 a.m. The meeting still isn't for a little while, but...  
"I should probably just head in. Yeah... Yeah, let's do this!"  
I gathered up all my determination and tried to act like I'd done this a million times before. And I took my first step towards the main hall...  
"This is where we're supposed to meet, right? I guess I'm the first one here."  
There's a really elegant clock over in the corner. It says it's 7:10 a.m. The meeting doesn't start until 8 o'clock. So there's still a full 50 minutes left. It makes sense nobody else would be here yet...  
"I was so wound up, I got here way too early."  
I have plenty of time before the meeting. Just standing around waiting isn't exactly... I should take a look around the school. Maybe that'll help me calm down a little.  
"I *am* a student here now, so there shouldn't be any problem with me having a look around, right?"  
It'll help me kill some time, if nothing else. Trying to play it cool, I took my first step into Hope's Peak Academy. It was also my first step toward starting a new life at a new school. At least, that's what I was hoping for.  
"What the--!?"  
But the instant I took that first step forward... My view became warped, twisted. It was like some kind of delusion, melting away and mixing together into something else. Spinning, mixing, melting away, then spinning again... And the next moment...  
Everything went black.  
That was how it all began... And how life as I knew it came to an end. At that point I should have realized...  
The reason I was brought to Hope's Peak Academy wasn't because I had ultimate good luck.  
It was so I could experience ultimate despair.


	2. Prologue, Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Second part to the prologue.

"............Nng?"  
"Wh-What...? Where am I?"  
"I woke up with my head resting on top of a hard wooden desk. My body feels...heavy. It's pretty normal for me to zonk off in the middle of some boring class or whatever, but... What was I doing asleep here just now? This isn't a classroom I've ever been in before.  
"What the heck is going on...?"  
I quickly shook my head to try and wake myself up, pushing away the streaks of my soft brown hair put of my face after doing so.  
I began looking around the room.  
Is that....a surveillance camera?  
It's a dangerous world we live in. I guess they have these to keep weirdos from just wandering in.  
What the heck...?  
In any normal classroom, that's where a window should be. But it looks like some kind of metal plate has been bolted over it. And if I were to knock on it...  
*Bang bang*  
"Yup. Definitely metal. Thick, too. Very solid."  
Wait, that's not what matters here. More importantly, why are there metal plates over the windows?  
My gaze took me over to a clock on the wall.  
"Jeez, I can't believe it's already eight o'clock."  
It was just after 7 when I first got here. Has it really been almost and hour since then?  
...  
There's a TV...  
The school *is* funded by the national government, so I guess it's not that weird to have TVs in here... Something feels...off. I wonder what it is...  
Finally, my gaze landed on the desk that I had fallen asleep on.  
That's the desk I fell asleep on. I can still see a line of drool I must have left there.  
"I'll have to clean that up later..."  
Hey, what's that on the desk?  
"An orientation guide...? It's some kind of cheap-looking pamphlet. And there's something handwritten on it."  
_"The next semester is about to start. Starting today, this school will be your entire world."_  
"What the hell? Is this someone's idea of a joke?"  
Okay, let's see. So what might have happened is...  
I got myself so wound up, I passed out in the main hall. And then someone carried me here...? If that's true it must mean... This is a classroom inside Hope's Peak.  
"But then if *that's* true..."  
That just raises more questions. This is all really strange. I mean, those metal plates covering the windows... It's like it's a prison or something. None of this makes any sense...  
"I should probably head back to the main hall. It's already past the meeting time. There might be other students there now."  
So, let's go see what the hallway looks like.  
"... This hallway is kind of weird, too."  
This is getting stranger by the second. I honestly have no idea what's going on...  
"Well, for now I'll just head to the main hall..."  
I began looking around for a little, searching for the main hall.  
Until, I eventually found it and entered.  
By the time I got back to the main hall...everyone else was already there.  
"Whoa, hey! Another new kid?" A voice spoke, and I knew I was being referred to.  
"Woah! Shortiiiiie!" Another voice called. It sounded...affectionate though, like it was a light-hearted insult.  
I knew I was short, but you don't have to call me out like that.  
"Huh? Then you guys are all...?" I knew I would've have to meet all these ultimate students if I was going to enroll here, but it still feels like an honor.  
"Yeah... We're all new here. Today's supposed to be out first day of class." Someone else said.  
"So counting him, that makes sixteen. Seems like a good cut-off point, but I wonder if this is everyone."  
Standing before me were the "Ultimate Students" that had been hand-picked by the school. I looked around at everyone who'd gathered there, taking in their faces one at a time. Maybe I was just imagining it, but I swear I could feel a kind of aura coming from each of them...

"Uhm...how's it going? My name's Makoto Naegi. Sorry I'm late. A bunch of stuff happened, and then all of a sudden I was just...asleep." I gave a brief introduction and told everyone how I got here.  
"Woah, you too?" Someone with a jacket over a white coat and tall spiked brown hair spoke.  
"Yooo! I thought I was just sleep deprived from playing video games up too late! Nice!" The person who called me a shortie piped up again. I couldn't tell if they were male of female, but their voice was leaning to the feminine side. They also had short brown hair, even shorter than mine, and glasses which made it even harder to identify their gender. "Cute name by the way, it fits you. And I don't mean that romantically."  
"Thanks..." I pinched the back of my neck sheepishly, getting a little flustered at the compliment.  
"Oh, and,"  
Jeez, this person sure likes to talk a lot.  
"when I called you 'shortie', that was light-hearted, sorry if you're offe-"  
"Ahem." A woman with a gothic outfit and long black drills silenced the short brown-haired person. "Things just keep getting curiouser and curiouser...  
"So strange... I declare beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is a strange situation indeed!" People kept speaking one after another.  
"Uhm...what are you talking about? I honestly have no idea what's going on right now." I asked cluelessly.  
"Just a moment! There's something else we must address!" Someone else shouted. They had a masculine voice packed with determination.  
"Ayyye! Nice way to lighten up the mood!" The talkative person spoke again.  
"Makoto! Your tardiness is unacceptable! Surely you were aware the meeting was to start at eight a.m. sharp! To be late on your first day is unspeakable! I must report you, and you must accept your due punishment!"  
"What the actual fuck?" The talkative one seemed less excited now.  
I snickered a little at that.  
"What's your problem?" Yet another person spoke up, this time, I'm sure it was a woman. I turned and, I was right.  
She had two ponytails on the side of her head, left one with a white rabbit clip on it, and the other with a red and white bow clip. She also had a black outfit with a white tie with red dots.  
"It's not like he *wanted* to be late. He didn't have any control over it." She said in my defense.  
"Everyone just calm down! Listen, why don't we all go around and introduce ourselves?" Another girl spoke, and she had darkish skin and a brown ponytail, and her eyes were a grayish-blue. She also had a white t-shirt and a red jacket.  
"The hell!? Now's no time for friggin' introductions!"  
"Maybe, but it may be good to at least find out who we all are before digging into the bigger problems here. I mean, how are we even supposed to talk to each other if we do not know each other's names?" The gothic woman spoke again, and, she had a good point.  
"Damn right!" The energetic person with short brown hair piped up yet again.  
"That's a good point..." A girl with messy light brown hair and a green dress agreed to.  
"Okay, so let's get introductions out of the way, then we can move on to whatever else. Sound good?" A girl with long sea-blue hair and a white dress with a large messy pink bow resting on her chest.  
I'm still totally lost, but I think it's best to just focus on getting to know each other for now. So I guess this is as good a chance as I'm gonna get. I already looked everyone up on that Hope's Peak Academy thread online, but... I still don't really know what kind of people they actually are. Time to find out...  
I'll start by talking to those five over there.  
I began by talking to the tall man with short black hair and the red eyes who was wearing a white uniform.  
"I'm Kiyotaka Ishimaru. I believe in bold simplicity! Let's work together on our educational crusade!" He immediately began with his introduction.  
**Kiyotaka Ishimaru**  
**_Ultimate Moral Compass_**

So that's Kiyotaka. According to what I saw about him on that thread... He went to a famous private school and won top honors every year. He's basically a flawless honor student... He's also known for the work he's done with his community's Public Morals Committee. They say he respects rules above all else, earning him the title of Ultimate Moral Compass.  
"Anyway, you can call me Taka. You said your name was Makoto Naegi, right?" He seemed to want to make sure of himself.  
"That's a good name, a strong name! You should thank your parents for giving you such an excellent name."  
And I thought the short brown-haired boy- no, girl- whatever they were- I thought they called my name cute.  
"And to keep that name from losing its value, you must devote yourself every single day!" Taka continued. "Life is worth putting every ounce of effort into it! Right? Right!"  
This guy is...kind of annoying.  
I moved onto the girl with the two long dark purple braids and glasses, she also wore a long purple dress and long-ish orange neck tie.  
"N-Not that you'll remember my n-name anyway, but... I'm T-Toko... Toko Fukawa."  
**Toko Fukawa**  
**_Ultimate Writing Prodigy_**  
Yeah, she wrote a novel when she was ten that got everyone talking and launched her literary career. Then two years ago she released "So Lingers the Ocean," a love story said to be her masterpiece. The book was such a hit with women that fishermen quickly shot to the top of every "Hottest Men" poll.  
Despite her age, she's won countless literary prizes and all her books are instant best-sellers. Which is why she's come to be known as the Ultimate Writing Prodigy. What else would you call such a young and talented author? But I figured she'd be a lovey-dovey type, what with her masterpiece being a romance and all...  
"... Wh-What? I-It's not polite to stare, you know."  
I was about to apologize, when Toko had already spoken again.  
"Stop staring at me like I'm some filthy creature!"  
"F-Filthy creature? No, I just thought--" I quickly denied.  
"I-I know what you "just" thought...! You just thought you've n-never seen such an ugly woman. You just th-thought it was sooo funny...!"  
"N-No, that's not what I was thinking at all..."  
"Oh my god," I heard an annoyed voice from the talkative one from the another part of the room. "Toko, I don't mean to be rude, but I swear to God, if you're gonna be like that the whole time we're here, I'm going to fuckin' lose my shit 'cause that's fuckin' annoying. That's not what Makoto said at all! What are you, the ultimate mind reader or somethin' and you're just faking your talent?"  
Toko's eyes widened, and she looked speechless.  
"That's what I thought."  
Uh, maybe it's better if I don't mess with that person. That sounded pretty harsh yet straightforward.  
"Damn, dude- chick- whatever the fuck you are! That was pretty-" The man with the black leather jacket and white shirt told the person who had just spoken to Toko.  
"Impressive, riiiiight?"  
I moved onto the next person, which was the girl with the long sea-blue hair.  
"Hi! I'm Sayaka Maizono. I look forward to getting to know you!" She sounded energetic and young, which fit her looks.  
**Sayaka Maizono**  
**_Ultimate Pop Sensation_**

The way she moves is positively mesmerizing. And the pleasant scent I can't quite place... Sayaka Maizono... When I saw her name in that thread online, frankly I was pretty surprised.  
She's in a pop group famous across the country. In fact, she's their lead singer... As the Ultimate Pop Sensation, she's in high demand to appear on TV and in magazines everywhere. But actually, that's not the only reason I was so surprised to find out she'd be going to this school. I'm sure she doesn't remember, but... Well, never mind. No matter how you slice it, she's really beautiful. Almost like a doll or something...  
"I'm not a doll, you know. I'm alive." Sayaka suddenly spoke up.  
"Huh? Did you hear me!?" I didn't even speak! How could she have heard me?  
"I'm psychic."  
"Huh?"  
"OOOOOO!"  
"Shut up! Let them talk!"  
"Okay."  
Yeah, the short brown-haired one is *definitely* really talkative.  
"Kidding! I just have really good intuition!" Sayaka jested.  
She's a sharp one...  
"Huh? Hey, by any chance..." She inquired.  
"Now what?" I answered.  
"... Yeah, it must be. I'm sure of it. Hey, Makoto. Did--"  
"Jeez, you guys! How long do you plan to waste our valuable time with this ridiculous back-and-forth!?" Taka interrupted.  
"S-Sorry. Just got carried away, I guess..."  
"Self-introductions are for introducing yourself, not bumbling through a bunch of idle chit-chat!"  
"Y-You're right."  
Sayaka turned back to me.  
"Sorry, Makoto... We can talk about this later."  
It sounded like Sayaka really had something she wanted to say. But it's not like we'll never see each other again. Like she said, we can talk later.  
I moved onto the next person.  
"Yo! The name's Leon Kuwata. What's up?"  
**Leon Kuwata**  
**_Ultimate Baseball Star_**  
I recognize that name...  
He played for the national high school champs as their cleanup hitter. The Ultimate Baseball Star... And that superb athletic specimen is...  
"You? Seriously!?" I had suddenly spoken.  
"Huh? What's wrong?"  
"N-Nothing, I'm just...surprised. I figured with you being the Ultimate Baseball Star and all..."  
"What, were you expecting some kid with a shaved head?"  
"Shaved head...? No, I was just expecting more of a, you know, sporty-looking traditional baseball player type. I mean, when I found that article and picture of you online, that's how you looked then."  
"What!?" Leon looked anxious. "Awh man, you found that picture of me playing baseball? Seriously!? I hate that picture!"  
"This is not cool. This is SO not cool... Seriously, I'm like, mega embarrassed right now. I didn't have a choice, okay? Shaving your head like that is part of national championship regulations!" He went on.  
"But now I refuse to cut my hair. And I'm not gonna dye it back to normal either!"  
"..." I didn't know how to react to this guy.  
"Actually, can I be totally honest with you?"  
I glanced back up at Leon.  
"I don't like baseball. Like, at all. I've never gone to a single practice."  
He's never practiced, and he was still his team's star player? He's some kind of prodigy...  
And as soon as I got accepted here, I quit baseball for good! I have my own dream for the future!  
"A dream...for the future?"

"My only path in life is getting into music! You can feel that star-quality aura I have, right? I'm gonna be a singer, so all I need is a songwriter and someone on guitar, and we're set!" Leon explained. "This new version of me that's chasing after my dream is, like...super cool to the max!"  
I can't believe what I'm hearing. I never imagined I'd hear something like that from a baseball all-star...  
Anyway, I moved onto the next person.  
The next person started to introduce himself. "I...am Hifumi Yamada. But if you want to call me by my nickname, "The Alpha and the Omega!" I don't mind."  
**Hifumi Yamada**  
**_Ultimate Fanfic Creator_**  
"By the way, how much do you know about the world of 2D art?" Hifumi asked.  
"World of...2D?" A tilted my head.  
"Oh, oh! Art? Digital art?!" The energetic one piped up. "Oh my god! You can draw!?"  
"Why, yes! I am quite good at it!" Hifumi turned and responded.  
The person gasped. "Oh my god! You gotta teach me how to draw! I really wanna know how!"  
"Alright, alright, calm down. I know how much of an honor it must be to meet the Ultimate Fanfic Creator, but-"  
"Fanfiction? I LOVE FANFICTION! I write it all the time! You like it too!?"  
This person... they're like a crazy teenage fangirl or something.  
"Hm... shall we continue this conversation later so I can get on with my introduction to Mr. Naegi?" Hifumi suggested.  
"Yeah, sorry. I just get excited really easily." They apologized.  
"Sorry about that, Mr. Naegi." Hifumi turned back to me.  
"It's fine. I can't control what they do."  
"Anyways," Hifumi went back to our original topic. "in the 2D world, I am well known and supremely well regarded as the Ultimate Fanfic Creator." He told me with confidence. "I once sold ten-thousand copies of one of my fan comics at a school festival. The event has passed into legend..."  
That's too bad about them. But selling ten-thousand copies like that is definitely pretty remarkable.  
"The words of such idiots mean nothing to me. I am like Van Gogh--utterly underappreciated in my time. I am a soldier, serving night and day to destroy all mindless preconceptions about fan fiction. I'm sure if you were to observe my work, Mr. Naegi, you would comprehend its greatness immediately. For my work is filled with deepest meaning..."  
"What...what kind of meaning?" I asked out of curiosity.  
"It's about embracing our basest urges..." Hifumi didn't exactly answer my question.  
I don't think I want to comprehend it...  
I moved onto the next group, which contained of six people.  
First, I talked to the large man with the black jacket and white shirt.  
"Name's Mondo Owada. Nice to fuckin' meetcha."  
**Mondo Owada**  
**_Ultimate Biker Gang Leader_**  
Mondo Owada, huh? Which means...  
He's the current leader of the largest biker gang in Japan. He's earned respect, ever awe, from every gang in the country. He's the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader...  
"Uhmm...Nice to meet you, too." Not sure why I hesitated, maybe I was a little scared.  
"Hell yeah." Mondo gave a simple response.  
I'd better be careful around him. One wrong word and I could wake up at the bottom of the sea...  
I decided to move onto the next person, who was the pretty blonde-haired lady.  
"Hiii! I'm Junko Enoshima. Charmed, I'm sure!"  
**Junko Enoshima**  
**_Ultimate Fashionista_**  
Anybody would recognize this one...  
She's got more charm and presence than any high school girl in the country. She's the Ultimate Fashionista. I've seen her on tons of magazine covers, but...  
"I feel like that doesn't quite match up to reality." I spoke aloud.  
"Huh...?" Junko seemed to have noticed, even though I was really talking to myself. "Oh, are you talking about my cover photos and junk?"  
"Ahaha, well of course! Those are totally photoshopped." She claimed.  
"Photoshopped...?"  
"Yeah, you know--edited to hell and back. With like, computers and junk?"  
"Oh, so they aren't real..."  
"Come on, don't act so surprised! You're gonna make me all depressed." She complained. "It's totally normal these days to photoshop the crap out of cover photos. If you're surprised by that, you'd be totally blown away by a certain dangerous little diva of ours..."  
"They make the eyes and junk super big, and tweak the skin so it looks all ceramic and porcelain." Junko explained.  
"Oh..." I trailed off.  
So many dreams are getting crushed today...  
Then, I moved onto the next person, who was the talkative energetic one with the short brown hair.  
"Howdy! I'm Marorī Ro, the Ultimate Multi-Shipper! I'm all about makin' romance happen with others!"  
**Marorī Ro**  
**_Ultimate Multi-Shipper_**

They're...all about making romance happen with others? Does that mean they want people to date? Is *that* the kind of shipping they mean?  
Well, I heard they're good at it, and I heard it's mostly fictional characters, which is good on my part.  
But, when I was looking at some stuff about them online, it's said they've helped real people get into relationships too. Though, it was mostly boys dating boys and girls dating girls?  
"Hey, uhm, I don't mean to offend you, but, uh..." I began anxiously. "What's your gender?"  
"Hmm? You mean my pronouns 'n shit?"  
"Yeah, that."  
"I'm a demigirl. She/they pronouns. Actually, she/they/it pronouns, but she/they works just fine!" They explained.  
"So...you're a 'she'?" I asked.  
"Kinda. Technically, I *am* a 'she', but I prefer to be a 'they', make sense?"  
"YYYeahh..." I glanced away for a moment. They basically admit their a girl, but, still, they said they wanted to be a 'they', so, I'll respect their pronouns, even if it takes awhile to get used to.  
"Hey Makoto, I don't mean this romantically at all, but you're *super* cute, like, oh my god, I'm gonna freak out." Marorī clenched their fists and shook them with excitement. "You look so precious!"  
I got really flustered, and I felt my face heating up with blush. "S-Stop it..." I stuttered.  
"Sorry! I obsess over people like that!"  
"It's fine..." I sighed.

"Now, you might be one of my favorites, so don't mess it up, okay?" Marorī dismissed.  
She's- No, they're really wierd.  
I moved onto the next person, who had long lavender hair and a mostly purple outfit.

"..."  
"..."  
"..."  
This was going nowhere.  
"Uhm... Can I ask you your name?" I finally spoke.  
"...My name is...Kyoko Kirigiri."  
**Kyoko Kirigiri**  
**_Ultimate ???_**  
She's pretty tight-lipped, huh? Oh but you know... Her name didn't show up anywhere in that Hope's Peak Academy thread.  
And I did see that there were students like me... Ones who didn't have any real identity or presence. Could this girl be one of them...?  
"Uhm, so...what are you doing at this school?" I hesitated to ask.  
"What's that supposed to mean?" Kyoko took her glance off of me.  
"No, I just meant... Getting invited here means you're some kind of "ultimate" something, right? So what ultimate something are you?" I quickly explained what I had meant.  
"...Why should I tell you?" Kyoko turned back to me.  
"Huh...? Well...I guess you don't have to tell me." I got a little confused at first, but then I decided that she can keep her talent to herself.  
"No, I *don't* have to tell you. So I'm not going to." She responded.  
Nothing about her turned up online, so I was thinking maybe she got picked by chance like me, but...  
Her face is like an iron mask. If she doesn't want to tell me anything, no point in asking.  
I pushed that aside and moved onto the next person, who was a girl with soft brown hair, close to the same color as mine. She also had a green and brown dress.  
She introduced herself. "Hello, nice to meet you. I'm Chihiro Fujisaki..."  
**Chihiro Fujisaki**  
**_Ultimate Programmer_**  
"Anyway, I hope we can get along..."  
"Same here. Nice to meet you." I gave a quick nod to Chihiro.  
"...Huh? Maybe it's just my imagination, but...have we met before?" Chihiro looked a little startled when she seemed to notice.  
"Uhm, I don't think so. We just met for the first time. Which is why I said "nice to meet you.""  
"Oh, yeah. Good point. Sorry..." She did seem like she was genuinely sorry, but I didn't understand why.  
"Y-You don't have to apologize for that."  
"Oh, yeah..." Chihiro calmed down a little.  
Chihiro Fujisaki is known for all the cutting-edge programs she's created. She's the Ultimate Programmer. She's also got that timid little bunny type thing going, which has endeared her to her legion of fans.  
"Hey, so listen..." I heard Chihiro's voice again. "I-I'm really sorry."  
I got confused again. "Huh? What are you apologizing for now?"  
"Well, just cuz...you seem upset. You must be mad at me, right?"  
"No, not at all! I was just lost in thought about something." I denied.  
"Huh? Lost in thought...?" Chihiro returned her gaze to me.  
"Yeah! It had nothing to do with me being upset or anything."  
"Oh, that's good. I was afraid maybe you didn't like me." She seemed relieved. "Hehe... I'm glad!"  
...I'm starting to understand why her fans are so into her...  
I moved onto the next person, who was a the girl with the red jacket and white shirt.  
"Heya! I'm Aoi Asahina! But my friends just call me Hina. 'Sup?" She introduced.  
**Aoi Asahina**  
**_Ultimate Swimming Pro_**  
Aoi Asahina... She's been breaking records in every competition she's been in since elementary school. She's even been chosen as an upcoming Olympic cadet. She is, without a doubt, the Ultimate Swimming Pro. The combination of her ability, appearance, and, uhm... proportions has been widely discussed online...  
"So uh...what was your name again? Sorry, totally forgot!" Aoi asked me.  
"Makoto Naegi."  
"Oh yeah, I knew it was something like that!"  
"No, not "something" like that. It *is* that..."  
"Sure, sure, got it! Here, I'll hammer it into my brain right now!"  
"Makoto...Naegi... Makoto...Naegi..."  
She just kept repeating my name and moving her finger across her palm like she was writing something...  
"What are you doing?" I asked out of pure curiosity.  
"You don't know?" Aoi tilted her head a bit. "If you wanna remember someone's name, you gotta write it on your hand three times!"  
"I've never heard of that before in my life..." I honestly admit.

"Hey, by the way...how do you spell your last name?" Aoi changed the subject with a question.  
"You spell it exactly like it sounds." I answered.  
"Uhmm......"  
"N-a-e-g-i, right?" I heard Marorī's voice again.  
"What? Please repeat that, slower this time." Aoi paid attention.  
"N-a-e-g-i, is that right, Makoto?"  
"Yeah, that's it." I nodded.  
"Ight, good. I thought that's how it was spelled." Mororī turned away again.  
"Got it. Anyway, glad to meet ya!"  
"S-Sure, same here..."  
Well, one thing I learned is she's totally easygoing and bursting with energy.  
Those four over there are the only ones left.  
I moved onto that group.  
First, I talked to the large muscular woman.  
"I am Sakura Ogami." She introduced.  
**Sakura Ogami**  
**_Ultimate Martial Artist_**  
Oh jeez, I almost asked her if she was a guy... The day I say something like that out loud is the day I get turned into a human meatball... But now I remember. She competed in a martial arts tournament in America and won, despite being a girl. She's the Ultimate Martial Artist. She's fought in over four hundred matches, and never lost a single one.  
That thread also said a bit more about her... Some call her Ogre; some even think she's the closest known relative to the primates--the famed missing link. _"Any incoming Hope's Peak students who are reading this, let me warn you right now... If you value your life, avoid her at all costs."_  
Standing in front of her now, I don't think they were exaggerating about that...  
"Hey, you." Sakura spoke to me.  
"Huh? Y-Yes!?" I admit, I got a little scared.  
I snapped to attention without even realizing it. Then she started to poke and prod at my body...  
"Uhm...what are you...?" I asked.  
"Muscular quality and quantity is right around that of an extremely ordinary high school student..." I didn't understand much of what Sakura was saying or doing. "Hmph. What a shame. You're not at all fit to act as my training partner."  
I'm not sure that's such a shame for me...  
I moved on.  
"Name's Byakuya Togami."  
**Byakuya Togami**  
**_Ultimate Affluent Progeny_**  
"Hi, uh...nice to meet you." I greeted.  
"..."  
That's the most half-assed introduction I've ever heard... But there isn't really anything I can do about it. Even among the ultimate students, this one is special. Byakuya Togami... He's the heir apparent of his family's massive financial conglomerate. He's already started managing business operations, and his own personal assets are, well, vast. His title of Ultimate Affluent Progeny is completely accurate. He's the definition of "exceptional." That's everything I learned about him from that Hope's Peak Academy thread online.  
"We're done with introductions, right? How much longer are you going to stand there? Go away. I'm sick of looking at you." Byakuya commanded.  
His aura says to me, "You and I will never stand on the same level." Like a king in training...  
I decided to move on.  
"I'm Yasuhiro Hagakure--Hiro for short! Take it easy, yeah? I know I will!"  
**Yasuhiro Hagakure**  
**_Ultimate Clairvoyant_**  
Yasuhiro Hagakure, known as "Supernova" in the psychic community. The trend-setting Ultimate Clairvoyant... Honestly, I don't really get all that fortune-telling stuff. It's pretty much beyond me. Still, I can't help wondering if there's any truth to it.  
"Ahh... Okay, I give up." Hiro suddenly spoke.  
"Huh? What happened?" I didn't think anything happened, but apparently he saw something.  
"I saw it. I looked right at it... Seriously, I totally saw it!"  
"...Saw what?"  
"A guardian angel with a crazy perm chasing after Bigfoot running off with a skyfish in its mouth. And that guardian angel...is YOUR guardian angel!"  
I stared in silence for a moment, trying to process what Hiro had just said.  
"Nah, I'm just kiddin'. But hey, we should grab some brewskis sometime and get real deep into Lemuria and it's civilization."  
"What? We're not allowed to drink! We're in high school!" I immediately spoke up.  
"Yeah! What the fuck!? That's illegal!" Yet again, Marorī called in on another conversation.  
"Oh, I'm actually twenty-one. I've been held back a few times, see, and...well, it's a long story." Hiro explained.  
A few times...? Yeah, I bet that *is* a long story.  
I moved on to the last person, who was the gothic woman.  
"I do not think we have been introduced. I am Celestia Ludenburg."  
**Celestia Ludenburg**  
**_Ultimate Gambler_**  
"Celestia...Luden...huh?" I was a little confused.  
"Ludenburg. It is my name. But if you don't mind, I would prefer for you to call me Celeste."  
"Uhm...you *are* Japanese, right?" I asked, since all of us here I assume are Japanese, mostly said by our names.  
"Of course. Why do you ask?" Celeste glanced away for a moment, as if she were lying. But yet, I still could not tell if she was telling the truth or not.  
"If you don't mind...could you tell me your real name?"  
"Heh-heh. I don't know what you are talking about. Celestia Ludenburg *is* my real name. But as I mentioned, I would much rather you call me Celeste."  
She's polite, but pretty forceful at the same time. I don't think she wants to say any more about it... I guess the rumors in that thread were right about her...  
The self-styled "Celestia Ludenburg," she's the Ultimate Gambler who's never lost a bet. Other than her obvious love of gothic lolita clothes, everything about her is wrapped in a veil of lies. They say she entered an won an underground gambling tournament, earning the title "Queen of Liars." She totally cleaned out the other players, taking their life savings and laughing as she did it.  
"I look forward to getting to know you better."  
"Heh-heh-heh..."  
That smile is beyond deceptive. I'd better watch myself around her...  
And with that, all the introductions are done. Hmm... Even though they're all "ultimate," they each have their own individual sort of...uhm...something.  
"Okay, time to get down to business. This is no time to stand around making friends like a bunch of dull-eyed baboons." It was Byakuya who spoke.  
"Oh, that's true. I think someone said something about a bigger problem or something? What was that about?" I agreed and took a brief glance around the room.  
"Well, you see..." Sayaka began. "Makoto, you said a bunch of stuff happened and then you were "just asleep," right? Well, the same is true for all of us."  
"What? Seriously!?" I was shocked.  
"Hey, I kinda enjoyed it! I hadn't slept much last night because I was up makin' edits!" No wonder Marorī was so energetic. They supposedly don't sleep much often.  
"Just after each of us got to the main hall, we lost consciousness. And when we came to, we were somewhere here in the school! That's what happened to you right?" Leon ran his hands through his bright firey-orange hair.  
"B-But that's just...weird! That every one of us would get knocked out like that..." I was processing so little at a time.  
"Exactly! That's why we're all freakin' out!" Mondo's voice rose above the others.  
"And that's not the only thing. You saw where all the windows in the classes and hallways were, right?" Taka asked. "But instead of normal glass windows, it was a bunch of big metal plates! What's that about!?"  
"Plus, all my stuff's missing! Even my cellphone..." Junko added.  
"Yeah, you're right. I haven't seen my PDA anywhere, either..." Chihiro nodded.  
"Man, this sucks.." Marorī sighed.  
"And then there's the main hall here. The front exit is completely blocked by some giant metal hatch." Taka continued explaining. "But there wasn't anything like that when I first got here...! What the heck!? What's it doing there!?"  
"Maybe we got caught up in some kinda, like, you know...crime or something?" Junko suggested.  
"Hm... if we are, I can investigate! I love detective work!" Marorī piped up excitedly. "Though, murder mystery is more of my thing, but, I should still be able to investigate!"  
"No, I don't think she meant that type of crime." Leon shook his head. "Maybe, like, a kidnapping. Like, we were kidnapped and hauled off somewhere else other than the school, y'know?"  
"Ohhh, that makes sense." Marorī nodded.  
"Come on, don't think like that. Cheer up! I bet this is all just part of the school's orientation procedure." Hiro gave his attempt to try and lighten the mood. "Yeah, I'm sure that's it! So I'm just gonna take it easy for a little bit."

"Oh... So you think they wanted to do something to surprise us?" Chihiro suggested.  
"Huh. Well if that's all it is, it's nap time for me." It was Leon who spoke again. "I was up way too late last night, so I could use a little shuteye."  
"Mood!" Marorī called.  
I could feel everyone's tension evaporating...  
But then...it began.  
*Ding dong, bing bong*  
"Ahem! Ahem! Testing, testing! Mike check, one two! This is a test of the school broadcast system! Am I on? Can everyone hear me? Okay, well then...!"  
The voice seemed totally out of place. It was so playful, so completely unconcerned... I couldn't help but feel a deep, unnerving dread at the sound of it. It was like hearing someone laugh at the scene of an accident.  
"Ahh, to all incoming students! I would like to begin the entrance ceremony at...right now! Please make your way to the gymnasium at your earliest convenience. ...That's all. I'll be waiting!"  
"...What. The. Hell was that just now?" Junko asked.  
"Well then, if you'll excuse me..." Byakuya turned and left.  
"H-Hey! What, you're gonna take off just like that!?" Junko called.  
"What a little bitch!" Marorī seemed annoyed with Byakuya. "I can just tell!"  
"Ohh yeah, now I get it! This whole thing was just to get us all pumped for the entrance ceremony!" Hiro got pumped up. "Man, thank god it was all a joke. I'd be totally freaked if this was real! Alright, guess I'll head out too. Wonder what they got planned for us next..." And with that, Hiro left.  
"Entrance ceremony! Whoopeeeee!" Marorī excitedly dashed out of the main hall.  
"Damn, I was totally looking forward to that nap too. "Why'd they have to go and kill the mood?"  
"W-Wait for me! I wanna go with you!"  
"That is that, then. I will see you all there."  
"N-Not that anyone cares, but I-I'm gonna go too..."  
They all left one after another.  
Everyone took off for the gym, but I was frozen where I stood. That uneasy feeling I'd had before... I couldn't get it out of my mind. And it looked like I wasn't the only one...  
"This...this doesn't seem right." It was Sayaka who pointed it out.  
"Yeah, that announcement was totally weird." Junko agreed.  
"Maybe, but just staying put doesn't mean we'll be safe. Besides, aren't you guys just a little bit curious to find out what's going on around here?" Kyoko refused to look at the others, yet she had made a good point.  
"If we do not move forward, we learn nothing. The only choice is to push ahead." Sakura made her addition to the conversation.  
I...I guess she's right. But still... I'm kinda--no, really nervous. We don't have a choice. We have to go.  
"They said to go to the gym, right?" I asked myself.  
I left the main hall and made my way to the gym.  
"God, I had no idea this Hope's Peak Academy place was gonna be such a pain in my balls. It really ain't that much different from the time I spent in juvie. Hell, this place is even worse!" Mondo was really annoyed.  
"Yeah, like, what the fuck *is* this shit?" Marorī barked.  
"I thought you were excited..." I questioned Marorī.  
"I was. But now that I think about it, this is all bullshit!"  
...Fair point.  
"Anyways, why isn't there anyone here? Walking through the halls, I didn't see a single person..." Sayaka switched the topic.  
"Isn't that like, seriously not good?" Junko queried.  
"Th-They're just trying to spook us! They'll take those metal plates down later, I'm sure of it..." Taka stammered.  
"All we can do now is hope for the best and prepare for the worst. Nothing ventured, nothing gained." Sakura made a good point.  
"Yeah! Let's take this situation with determination!" Marorī made their attempt to lighten the mood, and stalked off into the gym.  
"Well hell, it ain't like I'm scared or nothin'. Let's just get this over with!" Mondo seemed to take Marorī's affirmation well. "Hey! Where's whoever called us here!?" He rushed into the gym.  
"Mondo, stop! No running!" Taka called and headed after the biker gang leader.  
"I too shall go." Sakura turned and also entered the gym.  
"H-Hey, wait! Don't leave me here all alone!" Hifumi followed them up shortly.  
Still filled with uneasy dread, I did what the announcement said and went to the gym. And I saw what was waiting for us there...  
"Oh. It really does look like an entrance ceremony..." I said after a short glimpse around.  
"See? Told ya! It's totally normal entrance ceremony stuff." Hiro seemed pretty confident as he spoke.  
Hiro was right. But in a way, that just emphasized how completely *not* normal all of us were.  
"Hey there, howdy, hello! Is everyone here? Good! Then let's get things rolling!" That same cheerful voice from the announcement called out to everyone.  
We stared at where the voice came from, and then a half-black-half-white bear with one red streak for an eye on the black side bounced up.  
"Huh? A teddy bear?" Chihiro asked.  
Marorī started laughing. "Izza fockin' teddy bear!" Their laugh was so wierd and squeaky.  
"I'm not a teddy bear! I...am...Monokuma! And I am this school's headmaster!" The black and white bear introduced themselves.  
It was the strangest thing I'd ever seen. Right before my eyes, it was... What I was seeing was... It was...utterly incomprehensible.  
"Nice to meet you all!"  
Such a bright voice and carefree attitude was completely out of place. And all that anxiety I'd been carrying with me suddenly transformed into outright fear.  
"Wh--? Waaaaaah! That teddy bear can talk!" Hifumi cried.  
"Calm down! I'm sure there's just a speaker inside it." Taka was probably right.  
"I told you already, I'm not a teddy bear..." Monokuma's red eye glowed. "I'm Monokuma! And I'm your headmaster!"  
"Waaaaah! It moved!" Hifumi cried again.  
"Whoosh!" Marorī threw their arms forward. I'm not even sure what they were trying to point at.  
"Stop talking with your idiotic comments." Byakuya demanded.  
"No thanks!" Marorī didn't even seem bothered.  
"What was that?"  
"I said no thanks. You got a problem with that?" Marorī nagged.  
"Y-"  
"Well, you're not my boss! IIIII don't have to listen to you!" Marorī was so carefree.  
Byakuya didn't respond, yet he looked incredibly annoyed.  
"Seriously man, calm down! It's prolly just a remote control toy or somethin'." Mondo went back to the more important subject.  
"How dare you compare me to a child's plaything! You've cut me deep. Deeper than the Mariana Trench..." Monokuma acted a little depressed.  
"Oh! I know a lot about the Mariana Trench!" Marorī exclaimed, raising their left hand and waving it excitedly.  
"Be quiet." Byakuya ordered.  
"No you."  
"What?"  
...Those two aren't going to get along at all.  
"My remote control system is so complex, even the folks at NASA can't recreate or even comprehend it!" Monokuma continued to speak. "Ah, but don't make me say stuff that might destroy NASA's dreams. I just couldn't _BEAR_ that!"

""Bear" that? Really? You are...unfortunate." Celeste commented.  
Marorī looked as if they were trying to contain their laughter.  
"Now then, moving on! We really must hurry and get started..." Monokuma pressed forward.  
"Giving up already? No other stupid bear puns?" Junko questioned.  
"Quiet down now, quiet down. Ah, okay, so...!" Monokuma tried to speak.  
"He has abandoned the gag..." Sakura trailed off.  
"Everyone stand at attention and bow! And...good morning!"  
"Good morning!!!" Taka called back.  
"Y-You don't have to s-say it back..." Toko told Taka.  
"You're very loud, Taka." Marorī commented. "I'll have to write that down."  
"Huh?" I was confused.  
"Oh, it's for... shipping purposes. Hehehe!" Marorī clasped their hands together excitedly. "Oh man! I'm so excited to see what friendships and rivalries y'all have!"  
"Now then, let us commence with a most noteworthy and memorable entrance ceremony! First, let's talk a bit about what your school life here will be like. Now, ah, make no mistake--you few students, so full of potential, represent the hope of the world. And to protect such splendid hope..." Monokuma explained. "...you will all live a communal life together solely within the confines of this school. Everyone will live in harmony together, and adhere to the rules and regulations of the school."  
Huh...?  
"Ah, now then...regarding the end date for this communal life..." Monokuma began to answer an important question without even being asked. "There isn't one! In other words, you'll all be here until the day you die! Such is the school life you've been assigned."  
"Wh-What did they just say? Until the day we d-die...?" Toko asked.  
"Now, wait a fucking second! I need to see my puppy atleast once a week!" Marorī pointed out.  
"Oh, but fear not! We have quite an abundant budget, so you won't lack for all the common conveniences." Monokuma told us like it was not an issue.  
"That's the least of our worries right now!" Sayaka mentioned.  
"Yeah, what the hell? You're saying I have to live here forever? You're screwing with us, right?" Junko stressed.  
"I am not screwing with you! I am no liar, of that you can be 100% sure." Monokuma acted as if this were nothing. "Ah, and just for your information...you're completely cut off from the outside world. So you don't have to worry about that dirty dirty land beyond these walls ever again!"  
"Cut off...? So all those metal plates all over the school..." I spoke up. "They're there to keep us trapped in here?"  
"That's exactly what they're there for. No matter how much you may yell and scream for help...help will not come. So with all of that in mind, feel free to live out your life here with reckless abandon!" Monokuma didn't seem to be joking, yet I wish they were.

"Come on, what the hell is this? I don't care if the school or whoever else is behind it all, this is just a really bad joke." Leon faltered.

"Yeah! Cut this shit out! It isn't funny anymore!" Mondo cursed.  
"You keep saying this is a lie, or a joke. A bunch of skeptics, all of you." Monokuma taunted.  
"Hey, I never said this was a lie or joke, I just said that I needa see my puppy atleast once a week." Marorī pointed out.  
"But I guess you can't help it, huh? You all grew up in an age where you're taught to doubt your neighbor... Well you'll have plenty of time to find out whether or not what I say is true. And when that time comes, you'll see with your own eyeballs that I speak the undeniable truth." Monokuma mostly ignored Marorī and kept talking.  
"Having to live here forever would be...quite the problem." Celeste added.  
"No shit!" Marorī asserted.  
"Come, now. What's the matter with all of you? You decided of your own free will to attend Hope's Peak Academy, didn't you? And now, before the entrance ceremony is even finished, you've already decided you want to leave?" Monokuma asked, tilting their head. "Oh but you know... I guess I did forget to mention one thing. There *is* one way for you to leave the school..."  
"R-Really...?" Toko faced Monokuma.  
"As headmaster, I've crafted a special clause for those of you who would like to leave! I call it...the Graduation Clause!" Monokuma went on with their rant. "Now, let me tell you about this fun little rule. As I mentioned, in order to maintain an environment of harmony here, we rely on a communal lifestyle. And if someone were to disrupt that harmony, they and they alone would be allowed to leave the school. That, my students, is the Graduation Clause!"  
"What do you mean by "disrupt the harmony"?" Byakuya asked.  
"YYYeahhhhh, what the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Marorī added. "Not that there's ever gonna be any harmony, I mean... *I'm* here, for God's sake. I' chaotic as fuck."  
"Puhuhu... Well, you know... If one person were to murder another." Monokuma explained.  
"M-Murder!?" I stammered.  
"Stabbing, strangling, bludgeoning, crushing, hacking, drowning, igniting, how you do it doesn't matter. You must kill someone if you want to leave. It's as simple as that. The rest is up to you. Give it your all to achieve the best outcome in the worst way possible."  
A chill shot down my spine... "You must kill someone if you want to leave." As soon as I heard those words, my blood went cold.  
"WOAH!" Marorī gasped. "I know I said I'm chaotic, but not *that* chaotic! That's just outright demented!"  
"Puhuhu. I bet *that* got your brain juices flowing! Beats the heck out of a human catching a salmon, huh? Like I said before, you guys are the hope of the world. But you know... Taking that hope and seeing it get murdered creates a darkened shadow of despair." Monokuma still seemed excited about all of this. "And I just find that so...darn...exciting!"  
"What the hell are you talking about!? To kill each other is...It's!" Leon was acting like a nervous train wreck.  
"To kill each other is to kill each other. I'm sure there's a dictionary here somewhere if you need it." Monokuma spoke.  
Marorī started laughing. "Okay, I'm sorry, that was funny. Like- Ya need the fuckin' dictionary bitch?"  
"This is *not* a situation to laugh about!" Taka shouted.  
"I know! I know! I'm sorry! I just laugh a lot for no reason."  
"We know what it means, that's not the problem! Why do we have to kill each other!?" Aoi steered us back to the important subject.  
"Yeah! Stop blabbering on with all this nonsense! Just let us go home already!" Hifumi joined in with all of the other shouting students.  
"...Blabbering?" Monokuma questioned before peering down on us, red eye glowing. "Blabbering, blabbering, what do you mean blabbering!? Stop blabbering on about blabbering on! You guys just don't get it do you? "Let us go, let us go!" You keep on saying the same thing over and over and over and over...! Listen. From this moment on, this school is your home, your life, your world. Got it?"  
"Monokuma don't take no shit." Marorī looked away from the rest of us.  
"Just shut up already." Byakuya attempted to get Mororī to stop.  
"Nope!" Marorī declined.  
"And you can kill as much as you wanna kill! So go ahead, go on a kill-kill-killing spree!" Monokuma continued their speech.  
"That's lotsa murder." Marorī was probably just trying to annoy us at this point. Either that, or they didn't believe what was happening.  
"Alright, come on... How long are you gonna keep this up?" Hiro suddenly spoke.  
"Eh?" Monokuma tilted their head.  
"You got us, okay? You scared the hell out of us. So you can go ahead and reveal the trick now."  
"Reveal the trick...?"  
"Yeah, cuz I mean... Y'know, this is all some kinda trick and all, right? So uh, like..."  
"Dude, shut the hell up and get outta my way." Shoving Hiro aside, Mondo placed himself in front of Monokuma, his voice rumbling like thunder. "Listen up, asshole! This shit's gone way too far! What the hell kinda joke IS this!"  
"Woah!" Marorī got worked up. "Mondo don't take no shit either!"  
"Joke? What, you mean like your hair?" Monokuma casually questioned.  
"FFFUUUUUUUUUUUU--!"  
Mondo roared out, and then there was a sudden BOOM! It was the sound of the floorboards as he kicked off and launched himself into the air. He flew at Monokuma, fast and straight as a bullet. He'd locked on to his target...  
*Crash*  
Marorī was really struggling to contain their laughter.  
"Gotcha, you little piece of shit! I dunno if you're a toy or a stuffed animal or whatever the hell! Either way, I'm gonna rip you to fuckin' shreds!"  
"Waah! Violence against the headmaster is in violation of school regulations!'  
"Shut the fuck up! Let me outta here, or I swear to Christ..."  
A beeping is heard.  
"..."  
"What, no smartass comeback this time!?"  
"..."  
The beeping was getting faster.  
"Stop that goddamn beeping and SAY SOMETHING!"  
"Watch out! Get rid of it!" Kyoko called out a warning.  
The beeping got even faster.  
"Huh...?" Mondo was confused.  
"Hurry up and throw it!" Kyoko called again.  
I dunno if her ferocity stunned him into silence or what, but without a word he did what he was told. He...threw Monokuma. And as soon as he did...!  
*KABOOM!*  
"The hell!? Th-That sure as shit wasn't a joke. It blew the hell up..."  
"Haha, Monokuma go BOOM!"  
There was a painful ringing in my ears, and I could smell gunpowder. Explosions might happen all the time in movies or whatever, but when it's in real life... I'd never seen anything like it.  
"But you know... This means that the teddy bear's been destroyed, right?" Chihiro piped up.  
"I told you, I'm not a teddy bear! I'm Monokuma!" Monokuma popped back up again.  
"Uwah! There's another one...?" Leon whimpered.  
"You son of a bitch! You seriously tried to kill me just now!" Mondo called.  
"I mean, you just tried to kill them, so..." Marorī shrugged. "It's only fair."  
"That's right!" Monokuma agreed. "I think Marorī might be my new favorite student."  
"Y... You don't have to go that far..."  
"H-Hey... So does this mean there's like, a bunch more of you around here somewhere?" Junko went to what's more important.  
"Monokumas have been placed all throughout the school, yes. Plus, don't forget the surveillance cameras installed everywhere. And if you're caught breaking any rules, well... you all just saw what happened, right?" Monokuma's explanation was clear. "Puhuhu... And I won't be so forgiving with my punishment next time. So don't let it happen again!"

"Th-That's not even punishment. That's just...wrong..." Aoi pointed out.  
"Aoi's got a point." Mororī agreed.  
"Now then, lastly... To commemorate your joyous entry into our school, I have a little something for you..." Monokuma pulled out a tablet like object.  
"Ooooo! What is it?" Marorī asked with interest.  
"This is our official student handbook! Pretty cool, huh? As you can see, it's fully digital. So naturally, we call it... The e-Handbook!" Monokuma gave an explanation. "Ahem. Yes, well, moving on... This handbook is absolutely vital to a healthy school life, so don't lose it! When you start it up, it will display your name. Always make sure you have the right one! Now, this is not your everyday notebook. It has so many more uses than that! Also, it's completely waterproof. Splash it, wash it, drown it, it'll keep on ticking! And thanks to its space-age design, it can withstand an impact force of up to ten tons. Very resistant! It contains all of our school regulations, so make sure you review them thoroughly!" So, basically, the e-Handbooks are indestructible. "You'll hear me say this a lot, but any violation of school regulations will not be tolerated. Rules restrict, yes, but they also protect. Society, for example, would be utter chaos without laws." Monokuma kept rambling.  
"The same thing applies here! Which is why it's crucial we have strict punishments in place for violators. Okay, well...that brings our entrance ceremony to a close! Please enjoy your abundantly dreary school life! And...see ya!" Monokuma disappeared quickly after they finished their rambles.  
And with that, they were gone, leaving us all in a state of shock.  
"So, guys... How would you define what we just experienced?" Taka asked, seeming genuinely nervous.  
"I'd define it as the feeling of powerlessness when you know that the people you care for and they care for you are waiting... waiting for your return, unbeknownst to what situation you are in, no way to contact you, the time getting later and later as your return is awaited, past the time you were supposed to return, and you strongly wish to do something, let them know you're okay, let them know where you are, let them know you are safe, yet you are powerless in this situation, and they may believe you are hurt, or worse, dead." Marorī gave a dark explanation.  
"..."  
We all stared at them in shock for a moment.  
"... What?"  
"How...? Why...? I don't understand any of this..." Leon started, pushing aside what Marorī had just said.  
"We have to l-live here forever...? Or...k-kill?" Toko added on. "Wh-What...? What just happened!?"  
"Everyone, we need to just calm down. First, let's just take a second to summarize everything we just heard. Based on what Monokuma said, we essentially have two choice. Choice number one is that we each stay here, living a "communal life" together until the day we die. And the other choice is..." Kyoko began to explain.  
"If we want to get out of here alive, we have to kill someone. Right?" Celeste finished Kyoko's explanation for her.  
"But...killing someone... That's..." Chihiro was just beginning to cry.  
"Awwh, don't cry, Chihiro!" Marorī began. "You're too precious to die! I'll protect you!"  
"Th-Thank you..." Chihiro seemed to calm down a little.  
"We were abducted out of nowhere and stuffed into this place meant to look like a school. And now we're supposed to start killing each other? This is..." Hifumi sputtered. "This is...this is just...! What IS this!?"  
"A lie, is what it is. All these ridiculous things we've heard... This all has to be fake!" Taka tried to convince all of us that we're going to be okay and that this situation is fake, but it all seemed so real yet so fake...  
"Right now it doesn't really matter if it's real or fake. What matters is..." Byakuya began. "Is there anyone here who's seriously considering all this...?"  
To that, nobody had a response... Keeping quiet myself, I looked around at the others.  
They all stared at one another, trying to gauge each other's thoughts. I could almost taste the hostility. And that's when it hit me. I realized the true terror hidden within the rules Monokuma had laid out. "You must kill someone if you want to leave." Those words had planted vicious thoughts deep within each of us. Each of us became suspicious of everyone else. We were forced to wonder, "Is somebody going to betray us?"  
And that was how my new school life began... This school, which had come out of nowhere to raise my hopes so high... It's *not* a school of hope.  
It's...a school of despair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They/them for Chihiro and Monokuma please


End file.
